Sorry for taking a while to get back but I thought I'd see if there was a pattern or not.

I don't have any of the software mentioned, in fact with this computer there's not a lot installed beyond basics.

I keep getting messages telling me that the McAfee software has been updated which is ambiguous to say the least but

I assume these updates are the latest virus signatures?

I thought they must actually be software updates as forseveral days the evil Host message stayed away all day and no matter what or how much software I had running.

Hurrah!!!! They've finally fixed it......... Hmmmm

Yesterday I got another update message and guess what, the ghost of host has returned to haunt me.

What the .... is going on?????

Could it be that the problem lies within the signature updates? Searching the net I've found references to McAfee AV actually quarantining SVCHOST.exe in the past, worst case perhaps, but it seems to come and go with updates !!!!!!!!!!!! That's the pattern I've spotted.

I am seriously considering ditching McAfee now as it didn't cost me anything for the first year, doesn't appear to work properly, and still hasn't been fixed. The last AV on this computer was a complex beast and took time to understand, tame, and tailor to your requirements but did it's job tirelessly for two years without one glitch or virus getting through and didn't appear to have a list of software that it wasn't compatible with !

Bet you have XP correct? Seems to happen only on it BUT not on my test box and it is basic install. Any chance of you listing what programs are in the add/remove programs list. I am ready to check any that are common to you guys and noone wants to post their list.

Hi, sorry for the delay in responding but I've been watching for the error in an attempt to spot a pattern.

Some days it simply doesn't happen at all and has gone for up to three consequtive days without occurring.

When it happens it usually only occurs once in a day regardless of software in use though on one occasion it happened twice.

I'll point out at this point that the software in use has been IE, Word, MS Image composer, Outlook Express, Printer (Epson) switched off.

It has happened with just IE running (once) and most recently with no software - it came up as the desktop appeared on the screen. There might be a clue here in that a message from Adobe came up pretty much at the same time informing me that there was an update availabe. Could it be that McFee assumes it can do something but can't because something else is using a feature of XP? If so why doesn't it wait and try again - this aspect has puzzled me from the start.

Another oddity I've noticed is that McAfee doesn't always appear in the tray it will take to moving to the hiden part. The only way of making it appear again (that I've found) is opening the security center and closing it again. Hey presto - its back again but for how long? Like the host error message this oddity is random but very annoying as I now feel the need to check every time I start the computer.

On the subject of the tray - I've disabled all but important things so all that runs is Sound, Epson SX510W, McAfee, and Navidia

Also running in the background somewhere are the update monitors for Adobe, and Quiktime - I've disabled the rest and other things that watch / monitor for events. I'll try diabling the last two next.

Well, I came here looking for an answer, but found more people as ****** as I am. I kept thinking McAfee would fix the problem, but it doesn't seem like that is in the cards. It only happens to me when I restart---then it locks everything down until I click off of it 3 or 4 times. A real pain, I started leaving my computer on sleep, but windows and other programs update and close me down and back comes: McAfee Host. I've had McAfee every since I bought my first computer(windows had just come out). I'm thinking about canceling McAfee---maybe that would get their attention. I need to do something before I throw my mouse through my screen.

Any possibility of getting a copy of what is in your add/remove programs list. OK I am starting to agree it is not eoither tweak or adobe air so need to keep digging. Where did you get your Mcafee copy? Not from BT ?